Guy Ritchie has revealed that he was inspired to make a Sherlock Holmes sequel by the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.

The Snatch director talked about the enjoyable experience of filming A Game Of Shadows with the Hollywood stars, and confirmed that the project was now "close to finishing".

"I wanted to make another one for all sorts of reason, but in no small part [it was] because of the chemistry between these two lads," he told Empire. "That's the engine that drives the narrative. Plus, it's fun watching them."

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Ritchie also shared his gratitude at being able to play with a big budget on what was still a "really English" production.

"You have to pinch yourself when you're involved with these movies," he said. "To have a Hollywood budget and a really English movieâ€¦ it's such a privilege to stay here and make movies on this scale."

When pressed for details on the next Sherlock Holmes film, Ritchie revealed that fans could expect to see a lot of one star in particular.

"Everyone likes [Stephen] Fry, no matter what he does," he claimed. "He takes his clothes off in this film, and people seem to like that too."